We wake up for school every day and dread walking into our first-period class. However, we only give a little thought to the fact that being able to receive an education is not a guarantee but rather a privilege. As stated in the Global March – Against Child Labor, the number of children living and working on the streets worldwide is now estimated at over 100 million, according to the UN Human Rights Office, which is why Street Child United has worked toward giving unprotected children living in poverty a chance to both improve their athletic skills and gain their right to an education. Through several different programs to inspire children in athletics and education, the International School Partnership (ISP) has been working with the organization since 2019 to help fund many of these projects via fundraising efforts across multiple schools and campuses. This year, Riviera Preparatory will join this prestigious movement, and students at the prep campus will be able to participate in a special Sheds event this March.

To get a better idea of where these funds come from and how they will be used, we reached out to Ms. Laura Aguero, ISP’s Regional Executive and Assistant/Regional ILOS Coordinator, to get more details on their International Learning Opportunity for Students (ILOS) programs, as mentioned in our previous article, “Locke-d into Riviera.” After emailing Ms. Aguero about Street Child United, she explained how they raise money at different school locations. Some examples include a color run in Seattle, family movie nights in Louisiana, cookie grams for Valentine’s in Toronto, and now Shed Your Threads at Riv. She said, “We enjoy seeing the creativity within our schools with their efforts to not only fundraise but to raise awareness within our school communities.” With the help and support of ISP, Street Child United has been able to broaden the scale and scope of its mission and reach thousands of children and families.

On the Street Child United website, they showcase all the programs they have successfully sponsored, including various athletic programs that encourage children everywhere to train and compete, just like professional athletes. In 2016, when the Rio Olympics took place, the organization set up its games in Rio de Janeiro, where the children could compete, earn medals, and, as it states on the website, “become ambassadors for street children everywhere.”
They also created programs to explore journalism, art, and public speaking skills. Street Child United’s Virtual Bridges group utilizes various art forms to allow kids to learn more about themselves, connect with others in the same situation, and understand other cultures. It mainly focuses on storytelling and the creation of their characters through the use of 2D animation technology. The Advocacy and Children’s Rights Programme and ‘Change 10’ help them build leadership skills and address the conditions that young people in developing countries face. Giving people the tools to speak up and take a stance can spark change within communities, raise awareness, enforce the idea that non-government organizations (NGOs) can influence policy, and remove the overall stigma present.

In 2011, John Wroe founded Street Child United to challenge the global injustice and lack of resources that impoverished children face. Their primary mission is to provide children with an identity, protect them from violence, and give them access to primary education. The hope is to inspire them to enact change within their communities through various training programs to become future leaders.

This week, look for an extra sheds dedicated to this worthy cause. By joining the chain of ISP schools, it has become our responsibility to do our part in maintaining the values we share as a school and giving back to our local and global communities.